Analyst predicts iPhone will shunt mobile games market over $11 billion by 2014

Analysis company DFC Intelligence has released a new report predicting the growth of the mobile games market. According to the report, the firm believes the iPhone and iPod touch will be the driving force behind a massive increase in portable game sales by 2014.

Apple's devices will account for 24 per cent of total handheld game sales, but, more importantly, it will be responsible for "... the bulk of market growth over the next few years", bringing the mobile games market to a value of $11.7 billion.

Mobile-Ent.biz looks further into the report, which suggests that game systems from the likes of Nintendo and Sony will still lead the market, though their growth already appears to have peaked.

DFC produced an accompanying survey of 8000 North American and European gamers, revealing that 54% in North America and 69 per cent in Europe have played games on their mobile phones over the last year.

It goes on to predict that the exponential increase in mobile gamers, coupled with the retail power of the iPhone, will prompt game hardware manufacturers to release their own lines of next-generation gaming phones.